Cultural storytelling adds depth to tourism experiences in Da Nang
DNO - No longer just sightseeing, many tourist destinations in Da Nang are developing in-depth experiential programs, helping visitors better understand the cultural stories, nature, and community life. Each destination is shaping its own “storytelling language”, creating a unique appeal.
Connected to experiential tourism
Most recently, the Leaf Village & Farm in Hai Van Ward has introduced a variety of performance-based activities that offer visitors culturally rich experiences.
Among the highlights is the “Co Tu Cultural Exchange Night” with an open stage designed for community participation, allowing audiences to enjoy and immerse themselves in the local culture.
In addition, the mini-show “Hai Van - Awakening the Great Forest” is elaborately staged with a combination of history, music and dance.
Performances such as Apsara dances, gong performances, and melodies inspired by ethnic traditions, create a multi-dimensional cultural experience, enabling visitors to access the heritage in a vivid and intuitive way.
Acoustic music nights like “Dream Beneath the Flowers” and “The River Tells Stories”, along with tea-drinking spaces accompanied by traditional instrumental performances along the Cu De River have further enriched the tourism offerings.
The blending of traditional and contemporary elements not only meets entertainment needs but also broadens the approach to culture.
A similar approach can be found at the Dong Giang Heaven Gate Eco-tourism Area where artistic activities are closely integrated with the natural landscape to create a distinctive highland cultural atmosphere.
A key highlight there is the “Dance of the Great Forest” program which recreates the cultural life of the Co Tu people from daily activities and festivals to a mythical setting.
Through a combination of music, choreography and stage effects, the program provides a rich artistic experience that vividly conveys the region’s cultural identity.
A bridge between culture and tourism
Beyond simply creating experiences, performing arts are increasingly seen as a “language” for telling cultural stories that connect the past with the present through creative and modern performance forms.
Since its launch in 2018, the Hoi An Memories Island has become a unique cultural and tourism highlight.
With its large-scale outdoor performance space and the participation of hundreds of performers, the live performance recreates historical moments of former Quang Nam Province through music, lighting, and performing art.
Likewise, the “Teh Dar” performance by Lune Production opens a new approach to conveying culture through theatrical art.
Inspired by the culture of the Central Highlands, the program recreates the vast forest landscape through a combination of circus, music, and body language. Symbolic scenes of elephant hunting, communal life and the cycle of life in harmony with nature are brought to life through expressive stagecraft.
Besides “Teh Dar” regularly performed in Hoi An, other programs such as “À Ố show” and “Lang Toi” (My Village) also contribute to spreading Vietnamese cultural values through contemporary theatrical language.
All aforementioned programs draw on the image of bamboo, a familiar material in daily Vietnamese life, and combine it with circus art to vividly recreate the life and spirit of the Vietnamese people.
As tourism increasingly places greater emphasis on meaningful experiences, the use of art as a language for telling cultural stories is emerging as a sustainable approach. This significantly contributes to enhancing the value of destinations and strengthening local identity in an increasingly interconnected world.